Lusaka - It was a last chance balloon situation for us on our final morning at the Shumba Camp in Zambia’s Kafue National Park.
An air balloon flight over the sprawling Busanga Plains had been planned for the second day of our stay but unfavourable weather conditions scuttled it.
So now on our departure day it was going to be either up, up and away or down, down disappointed all the way back to the camp and out of the park on a Lusaka-bound plane.
An early morning wake-up call had my wife, Colleen, and I showered, dressed and ready to roll by 5.30am.
Arriving at the launch site close to the camp with six other passengers we noticed the massive balloon was still lying limp and quite forlorn-looking on the grass.
It seemed like we might be grounded yet again.
It was up to the pilot Paul Vecray of Namib Sky Balloon Safaris to decide whether and when conditions were right for take off. It had been a windy night and the early morning breeze had made all the would-be passengers sceptical about getting off the ground.
But then it happened suddenly. Weather conditions improved, the balloon was inflated and the eight of us clambered on board, two in each of the four compartments in the basket, with the pilot at the controls.
Gently, ever so gently, we lifted off and floated into the blue yonder, moving at about 12km/h at heights varying between 20m and 100m.
I felt kinship with Phileas Fogg (the lead character in Jules Verne’s novel Around the World in 80 Days). I enjoyed drifting around in this thing.
We floated over the Shumba Camp, above the floodplains, sometimes just making it over tree tops and on other occasions being high in the sky, commanding spectacular views of the area.
We looked down on birds, zebra, hippo, crocodiles and various species of antelope, with the pilot increasing and decreasing altitude when necessary. It’s possible to vary the height of the flight but not the direction – so whichever way the wind blows, that’s the way the balloon goes.
The silence was eerie but enjoyable and the rush of fresh air in our faces envigorating.
After about an hour in the sky it was time to descend and we landed with a bump, some distance from vehicles ready to take us back to camp. While still in the basket waiting to be collected, a sudden gust of wind tipped us over.
We had been forewarned of this possibility and assumed the brace position as the basket toppled on to its side with us inside. We all had a good laugh as we edged ourselves out and on to terra firma, stirred but only slightly shaken.
The safari vehicles collected us and after a cross-country trip (getting stuck in a muddy river bed added to the excitement) we celebrated with a bush champagne breakfast.
What fun, what memories.
(Hot air ballooning is complimentary for guests staying at Shumba for three nights or longer from August to November.)
Shumba Camp, run by Wilderness Safaris, is situated deep in the Busanga Plains in the far northern section of the 22 500km2 Kafue National Park.
The camp is set under a canopy of fig trees, elevated wooden walkways connecting the six tented rooms with the communal area which features a bar, lounge, dining room, deck and splash pool, all of which present panoramic views of the plains.
The en-suite rooms, providing accommodation for a maximum of 16 people, have large comfy beds, an indoor and outdoor shower, and spacious balconies.
Grasslands, which stretch seemingly forever, are home to a variety of animals all within easy view of guests from their rooms as well as the communal area.
The food is exceptionally good, served in fine style, with fine wines, in a tranquil atmosphere pleasantly disturbed now and again by the sounds of the wild.
On our arrival at the camp, Shumba’s manager Daniel Allcock announced we were in Room 1, casually adding that the verandah and deck outside the unit were sometimes used as a resting place – an escape from the heat – by a family of lions.
“If you see them, stay inside the tent and call staff who will chase them away,” said Daniel.
Ja, well, no fine. I first thought he was joking but quickly realised he was serious. He had pictures to prove lions do sleep outside our room and one of the females recently delivered cubs under the boardwalk.
No question we would be alert, very alert – especially when using the outdoor shower.
Looking at the attractive camp structures it is hard to imagine the place was devastated by fire last December. One of the fig trees was struck by lightning, resulting in the entire communal area being reduced to ashes.
The camp was rebuilt within a few months and opened on schedule for the new season on June 1.
It closes towards the middle of November when heavy rain makes roads impassable.
Guests are taken on game drives in the early morning and late afternoons.
Also on offer are three-hour night drives, specialist bird drives and guided walks where smaller things in the bush – often missed while driving – are highlighted.
We followed a herd of about 400 buffalo during an afternoon drive – seeing large numbers of animals together kicking up the dust while on the move is one of the great African sights.
Interestingly, elephants in the area do not enjoy safari vehicles getting too close, apparently a legacy from days when poaching in the area was a problem.
We followed two hunts by lion prides which on both occasions ended in the intended prey, lechwe, making easy getaways.
It was good to see the highly endangered wattle crane in large numbers.
Our guide at Shumba, Idos Mulenga, has worked in wildlife and conservation on the Busanga Plains for the past 22 years. Dedicated to his profession, he was a fountain of information about the area and its animal inhabitants but also stopped to point out interesting aspects of the vegetation.
Mulenga, head guide in the region and very proud of it, made our stay that much more enjoyable by sharing his knowledge and passion about wildlife as well as having us in stitches with his amazing sense of humour. We nicknamed him Mr Busanga.
On the plane back to Lusaka to collect our car and continue our journey to Livingstone for another adventure we got a last good look at the Busanga Plains – truly wild and unspoilt.
Greg Dardagan, Weekend Argus